EMPLOYMENT GENERATION, scrapping of Goods and Service Tax (GST) and women security top the agenda of five women candidates who are contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Anandpur Sahib. Confident that they would convince the people with their logic, they claim that neither Congress nor SAD-BJP delivered on the promises made in their election manifestos.

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Kulwinder Kaur, a resident of Sunny Enclave in Kharar, is contesting as a candidate of Ambedkarite Party of India (API). A housewife, she is contesting the elections for the first time after her son who is a social worker persuaded her
to join the poll fray. She is a matriculate and her election symbol is coat.

“My son wanted me to contest the elections. I want to serve people, who are fed up with traditional parties,” Kulwinder Kaur told Chandigarh Newsline.

On the issues she highlights during her campaign, Kulwinder Kaur said that unemployment is the main issue which she always touches upon. “Whenever I go to villages, I do meet youngsters who are qualified but do not have any job. I always feel sorry for them. If I am elected, I shall fight for the rights of these young people so that they could get jobs to support their families,” Kulwinder Kaur said.

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Sunaina, who is also contesting the elections as an Independent candidate, belongs to Parch village in Mohali district. This area remained neglected till New Chandigarh was developed. According to Sunaina, her main issue is women’s security. Sunaina has done graduation from Panjab University and her husband is working in Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. Her poll symbol is bucket.

“Women’s security is a major issue which I highlight during my campaign. Women support me and they assure me that they would vote for me. There must be a safe environment for women. Even after more than 70 years of independence, the women are still not feeling safe. Whose responsibility is it to make the women feel safe? If the lawmaker is sensitive to such issues, only then they can think of creating a better environment for the women,” Sunaina said.

Kirpal Kaur, also an Independent candidate, wants to act like a torchbearer of the people. She claims that both the Congress and BJP made several promises which were not fulfilled but she wanted to fulfil all those promises. “Incidentally, my election symbol is also a torch. Look at the inflation; it is increasing day by day. My first priority is to stop the rising inflation. It would solve many other issues,” Kirpal Kaur added.

Kirpal Kaur, whose husband is a chairman of a religious dera at Machhiwara in Ludhiana district, claims that people are supporting her idea.

“Whenever I meet women in villages, they assure me that they would vote for me. They also want the issue of inflation to be highlighted,” Kirpal Kaur added.

Dr Sukhdeep Kaur, who is contesting as a candidate of General Samaaj Party, has drug addition as her main poll plank. A qualified homoeopathic doctor, Dr Sukhdeep Kaur says that during her practice, she came across a number of patients who were suffering from drug addiction and their families were ruined.

“If the youth is not healthy, no development has any meaning. If the youth is dying with drugs, there is no use of good roads,” Dr Mandeep Kaur said.

She added that she made up her mind to contest the elections as she wanted to eradicate this social issue which had taken lives of many young people across the state.

Another woman candidate, Surinder Kaur Mangat, who is contesting as Rashtriya Jan Shakti Party candidate, could not be approached.